Joint UK-French Air Strike Strikes Islamic State Munitions Store in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.

The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.

There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.

The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.

Daesh - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This action shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.

British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I want to thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."

In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. estimates Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.